Tag: 1954

Terry J. Hatter Jr.,from the United States District Court, shares this happy family news: “Our great-grandson was just born in March and his cousin, our great-granddaughter, is one year old as of this April 5.”

Bud Johnson reports that he has the class reunion on his calendar but can make no promises because of medical uncertainties. He’s glad that we can stay in touch through these notes. Marty Feins has done some research and learned that last year, four members of the Class of ’53 made it to their reunion (not bad for 91- and 92-year-olds). 

Ed Dewey, active in his community, shared this snapshot:

“I am living in a large senior-living facility in Gainesville, Georgia, with my wife, Joyce. We have been married for nearly 49 years. I have two children, a boy and a girl, and two grandchildren, also a boy and a girl. My career was in corporate finance in the engineering and construction industry in Florida and California. I retired in 1979 and then lived for 21 years in Big Canoe, Georgia, and after five years, here in Gainesville. At age 92 I was elected president of the resident board.” 

Your much-traveled scribe, at age 91, is well and waiting for your news.

Glad to have heard from so many aged but active members of the Class of 1954. I’m Dan Resnick, your current class secretary, scribbling away after Bob Carey stepped down. Bob did a remarkable job in his decade or more as our class secretary. About 40 of you sent in news during those years (see classnotes.blogs.wesleyan.edu/tag/1954/). He was the happy recipient of news about awards and prizes, projects in the making, vagaries of retirement, successes of grandchildren, arrival of great-grandchildren, hobbies and pastimes ranging from gardens and fitness to labor on memoirs, and an astonishing amount of travel. He fielded and shared, too, the difficult messages announcing deaths and sickness. In the last decade he heard directly from Dave Walden, Terry Hatter, Bud Johnson, John Binswanger, Ken Davenny, Dave Hodgin, Curt McLaughlin, Len Stolba, Shep Johnson, George Ray, Dick Matthews, Marty Feins, Bob Gruskay, Bob Montstream, Rod O’Connor, Dr. James J. Yashar, Norm Stuessy, Carl Bufka, Chuck Davis, Ken Davenny, Jeff Lockhart, Dr. Jules Schwaber, Bill Drury, Bob Schnuer, Al Flynn, Bruce Storms, Ben Cope, Bob Muir, George Klein, Ed Dewey, Marshall Umpleby, Charles “Jim” Landesman, Art Dexter, Hal White, Art Spada, Eric Cone, and Bill Christopher. Let me share with you the updates we received in November.

Terry Hatter, from the United States District Court, married to Trudy for 64 years, now has a great-granddaughter and is expecting his first great-grandson in the spring. He wishes us all the best, and we congratulate him on his expanding family.

Bud Johnson reports to us from Westchester County. He and Lynn have just moved into a senior living campus in Rye, near New York City. He is close to most of his children (some are in Florida and California) and four of his eight grandchildren, a medical center, the Union League Club, and Winged Foot Golf Club. Sounds like a great choice, Bud.

Marty Feins, ever eager to see classmates again, wants to know how many plan to attend our 70th Reunion, May 23–26, 2024.

David Hodgin, long dedicated to advancing public space for the arts in Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz County, reports that one of his big projects, a Cultural and Performing Arts Center, is up and running. For 14 years Dave spearheaded this project for the Scotts Valley Community Theater Guild (svctheaterguild.org), creating this performance space from an old roller rink. He also developed the first Alfred Hitchcock Festival: (hitchcockfestival.com). Hitchcock was a 30-year resident of Scotts Valley. The next festival is scheduled for March 8–10, 2024. Although still enjoying work on community service projects, he says that at 91, he is ready to pass along that responsibility.

Your scribe reports that Dan Resnick has no big projects in the pipeline, but thinks that, as the psalmist wrote, “my cup runneth over.” He has been married for 65 years, has six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, has traveled widely, and is living comfortably and independently in a middle-sized city with great theater and music, medical care, proximity to family, and the pleasures of nature. A local wag has described Pittsburgh as “the Paris of Appalachia.” As a sometime resident of Paris, Dan couldn’t agree more, but is happy to hunker down in the foothills of the Appalachian chain.

Jim Yashar writes, “I am celebrating my 90th birthday this August. I am fortunate to be in good health  . . . I have had knee and shoulder replacements and [a] cornea transplant.” Jim said he remarried 14 years ago to a wonderful woman, and they spend summers in Boston and winters in Palm Beach. He “retired from practicing cardiac surgery 20 years ago and [enjoys] retirement traveling, playing nine holes of golf, playing bridge . . .  reading, getting together with friends, discussing books and current events.” One of his  grandchildren was admitted to Brown last December and other grandchildren are applying to college this year.” Jim says that “Wesleyan was the basis for my future and graduate studies.”

David Walden, who lives in London, Ontario, says that he does not travel as he once did. He also adds that “Our family is doing well. John ’81 and Lisa live in London. Karen and Wouter live in Alberta. Carol, my beloved wife of 67 years, graduated from Boston University with an RN and BS.” Though he is now retired from the plant sciences department at Western University (London, Ontario), he spent his entire career there, earning several awards and mentoring 22 graduate students. Dave would be delighted to hear from any classmates. 

We end with some sad news received from John Miller ’53. He reports that Bill Ranscht died on March 7, 2022. John said, “Ranscht and I were number one and two hurdlers for the two years we overlapped, 1952 and 1953. We did not meet again until teams were elected to Wesleyan’s Athletic Hall of Fame.” Bill set the record for high hurdles at Wes, which stood for 49 years. His obit can be read at www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/orleans-ma/william-ranscht-10618070.

Dave Walden sent in this note from Ontario: “I have been retired (since 1997) from my position (faculty, Plant Sciences) at the University of Western Ontario (UWO), London, Ontario, now named Western University. I earned my MSc and PhD in genetics at Cornell University, joining UWO in 1961, after a two-year, postdoctoral fellowship at Indiana University, Department of Genetics. Retirement was required at age 65 in Ontario.” Dave also said that he is enjoying retirement activities and is well.

Bob Carey has retired from being your class scribe. We thank Bob for his many years of dedication and to keeping the Class of ’54 connected to each other and to Wesleyan. If any classmate would like to become the new Class Secretary, please send an email to classnotes@wesleyan.edu.

Please write to your class secretary.

Please write to your class secretary.